


Love and Taxi's

by snowzone5



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Mileven, Modern AU, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 09:21:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25468453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowzone5/pseuds/snowzone5
Summary: Mike is doing research for a video game script he is writing. He gets into El's cab. They talk :)
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 7
Kudos: 20





	1. George And Gracie

**Author's Note:**

> This one will be 3 chapters. Maybe 4 at most. It was just a quick idea I wanted to explore.

_ Oh, he’s cute. Ooh, and tall. I’m going to pick up him up. Well, If I can. _

_ Hmm, he’s talking to a blonde. Shit, Amazonian much? What girl can compete with boobs like that? Not me, That’s for sure. He’s smiling at her. Shit.. Girlfriend? Wife? Or worse… hooker. _

_ He’s flagging me down! _

_ I guess that saves me from sticking my head out the window and saying “hey sweetie, wanna ride?” _

The tall guy got in the cab.

_ Oh my lord. He’s gorgeous. How does a guy like that not have women hanging off him all day long… and all night. _

_ What are you thinking El? You have practically no hair, you have no boobs to speak of, well nothing that guys who look like that are interested in, that’s for sure.. You’re driving a stupid cab for god’s sake. And you are wearing a jumper and a poor boy’s flat cap. Seriously, you won’t be sleeping with him tonight. You’ll be lucky if he even looks at you, and luckier still if he talks to you. _

_ Face it El. You will not be finding love in a taxi tonight. Let’s be realistic, you should not be looking for a relationship from customers  _ in your cab! __

El sighed.  _ I’m going to die… unloved.  _

“Where to, sir?” El said trying to be professional as possible as she looked at him in the rear view mirror

“Well, first off  _ ma,am _ , ‘sir’ is way too formal. So…  _ ma,am _ , you can just call me Mike. Is that ok  _ ma,am _ ?”

El burst out laughing, “Your point has been made… Mike. Call me El.”

_ Oh, he’s not just gorgeous, he’s drop dead gorgeous. And funny. And cute. And please sir, just a quick kiss… Dream on El. Dream on. _

“El it is. So I uh, need to give you this.” He handed her a card.

She took it from him, took a quick look at it and said, “This is an open ended voucher, so it’s covered by… your employer?” Mike nodded. “Ok, I still have to call this in.”

Her voice gave her away. An open ended voucher meant all night, tonight, maybe every night for a few nights. Cab companies made lots of money on these. Not so much the driver. El sighed. She still got paid, but… Mike interrupted her thoughts.

“I know what it means for drivers, I will tip you like you’ve never been tipped before.”

“I”ll bet your wife doesn’t like you reading her mind either. It’s ok Mike. It’s part of the job.”

“My wife?” Mike looked puzzled

“The tall blonde you were smiling at.” El took a quick glance in the mirror to see his reaction.

He looked embarrassed.  _ Shit, that  _ was  _ a hooker. _

“Um, that was a call girl, but I was not a customer. I was smiling to be polite.”

“Sorry Mike, it’s the big city. You wouldn’t be my first john fare after a night in a hotel.”

_ He’s polite to hookers? Or maybe he’s just nice to all girls. _

El called the voucher in, “Unit 11, calling in voucher…” she looked at the card again, “number three fifty three.”

There was a static crackle response from the radio she was sure Mike wouldn’t have understood.

“Ok, you have me for the night.” She said, and then immediately flushed. She could see him turn red in the rearview mirror.

“My next question is usually, silence, radio, or talk? I’m ok with anyone of those.”

“Put the radio low on a jazz station… and we can talk. I’m actually doing some research.”

“You are researching cabbie conversation?”

“As a matter of fact….” He smiled at her and she almost wet herself. 

_ That smile was for me. He’s smiling at me, not just a polite  _ drive me around smile, _ but a real smile  _ at _ me. _

Customers, especially guys, liked to talk about themselves, and if nothing else, she would get to know him, to see if he was a genuinely nice guy or not. 

_ Not that it will make a difference El. He’s a fare. He’s a human with money to give you. You can’t look at it like anything else. _

“Ok, Mike, now you have to tell me the story of that. I’m just hoping it’s not for a stupid reality show about taxi’s. Been there, done that.”

“You were on that show?” Mike asked.

“I was asked. I have a level of stupidity I will not limbo under.”

This time Mike burst out laughing. “You are funny El. Pretty and funny, that’s quite a…” He stopped talking suddenly, looking down.

“Um, sorry, that was way too forward.”

“Hey, cute guy says I’m pretty. Don’t worry about it sweetie. Oops, now we’re even. Ok, story time. I’m all ears.”

XXXXX

  
  


_ Did she just call him sweetie?  _ Mike felt warm and fuzzy inside.

“Ok, well, I was a nerd when I was younger. Goofy looking, bullies called me frogface. Wasn’t anything I could do about it but I word got around and that’s what I was. Frogface, no girls were interested in me. Ok. Feeling sorry for myself part of the story is done. Sorry to bum you out.”

Mike smiled at her, and she smiled back through the rearview mirror.

“Do you know who George Burns is?”

“He’s the actor from the  _ Oh God _ movies?”

“That’s the one. He did a lot more, but you can google that. He married Gracie Allen, in 1926, and she passed away in 1964. He never remarried, and he always talked about her. For over 30 years, On the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, On Letterman, You knew they were soulmates and loved each other. One of the last things he said was that he’d finally be with Gracie. He passed away in ‘96 at 100. He’s with her now. I think that’s the most romantic story I know. It really got to me.”

Mike had to look out the window when he saw a tear roll down El’s cheek.

El cleared her voice. “That’s very sweet Mike. Please… go on.”

“I was a lonely kid. That never changed through high school. I didn’t have a girlfriend in Middle school… or high school… or college.”

“So on spec, I wrote a romance novel, but with a twist. My mother reads them all the time, but not like what I wrote.”

Mike heard El sigh. “I’m sorry Mike, if you didn’t want to tell me what you did, it’s perfectly fine. But romance novel? Puh-lease. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen your books.”

“No, you wouldn’t. Not if you don’t read them.” He continued: “ _ MIke looked at El through the rearview mirror. She had the prettiest brown eyes he’d ever seen. Her face was so sweet and innocent he just wanted to kiss her, hold her, and take care of her forever. But he was a customer in her cab. It would never happen, and that realization caused a shroud of sadness to settle heavily on him. A sadness he thought he might never shake. _ ”

El sniffed, “That was beautiful MIke… I’m sorry I doubted you. Curious… what was the twist?”

“She had telekinetic abilities. Um, can you pull over at this gas station?”

“Sure, I need gas anyway.”

She felt weird and scared at the same time. That was more than a bizarre coincidence.

XXXXX

El knew she would start crying when he told her the George and Gracie story. You could hear it in his voice. It had a profound effect on him.

But then he came out with that romance novel stuff.

_ Uh. Danger El. Danger. _

_ Is he talking to me?? Saying I had pretty eyes, and that… and that he wanted to take care of me forever. Oh… Oh Mike. Yes… take care of me… forever. Ah… shit. He’s just telling me he really does write romance novels. Well, someone has to I guess. Maybe he’s just a writer after all and not really a nice guy. I mean, look at Orson Scott Card, he’s a racist homophobe, but everyone goes on about  _ Ender’s Game. El had never read it and now she refused to.

“She had telekinetic abilities. Um, can you pull over at this gas station?”

El was barely able to say, “Sure, I need gas anyway.”

El got out and filled the tank up. 

Mike came out of the gas station holding a plastic bag. “Let’s go”

“Gas isn’t free Mike, I need to pay.”

“Already done. Get in the car.” It wasn’t a command, it was more of a  _ let’s go _ with a big smile.

El got in, Mike slid into the back seat. She half hoped he would get in beside her in the passenger side.

“Before we go.” Mike handed her a bag.

“What’s in the bag?”

“A present.”

El reached in and pulled out a book. On the front was a sad looking girl who looked a lot like she did. Her eyes were riveting. The artist had done a really good job. The title of the book was “Her Eyes, Her Smile.” It was written by Mike Wheeler.

“You?”

Mike nodded. “So to continue. My agent suggested I could expand my audience by writing for video games.”

“I’m sure there are no romantic video games.” El said. She couldn’t take her eyes off the book cover.

“Ah, that is where you are wrong. A friend of mine’s girlfriend started a video game company strictly aimed at girls twelve or thirteen and up, even women. Their first game sold very well. Enough to make her and the designers millionaires.”

“Ok, let me guess, you are writing the script for a guy who falls in love with a cabbie… or the other way around.” El couldn’t look at him.

“Well, yes and no, yes I’m writing the script but but only the… let’s call it scenes, in a massive game about a girl coming of age.”

“Is there a twist? To the story, it  _ is _ a video game after all.”

“Yeah, Max said I could use the same girl as in that book your holding.”

“Max? Max… as in Max Mayfield?”

“Uh… uh… yeah. You know her games? She’s the CEO of Girl Games.”

El laughed. “I know Maxine.”

“But don’t ever call her that.” They both laughed at the same time.

Mike’s next question she almost expected now.

“Um, El? Are you from Hawkins?”

“Yes.”

“Ok, this is really weird.” Mike said.

“Stranger things have happened Mike.”

“Not to me. It feels like… like I  _ need _ to be talking to you, I should be  _ in _ your cab tonight. The only thing weirder would be if you were telekinetic. You must have seen that cover art. It’s like Will already knew who you were. 

“Will Byers? Yes, he does. How do you know I’m  _ not _ telekinetic.”

“Ok, well  _ that _ I’m sure you’re not. Thanks for that moment of… I don’t know what to call it….”

“It’s like you were meant to find me.” El said looking down.

“Yeah, exactly like that. I don’t even know how to… I mean what do I… I mean ”

“You go with it Mike. You just go with it.”

“Ok. We go with it. And I mean  _ we _ . I can’t help feeling you are character in my book, and I want to talk to you like you are… we’ve never met before but…” 

“I know exactly what you mean. This is kind of weird for me too.” El said. It’s exactly how she felt. Mike Wheeler was supposed to be another fare, sure an open ended voucher, but she’d had a few of those before. She’d never had a fare, a customer that she felt she actually  _ knew. _

“Ok, so you believe me now that I write romance novels… with a twist.”

“George and Gracie will be in my thoughts.” She didn’t say it sarcastically, she could see from Mike’s smile that he knew that. “How many did you write?”

“Forty-five or so.”

“You’ve written over forty books?” El said her eyes going wide in the rearview mirror.

“Oh my God!” MIke said his eyes going wide.

“What?” El said looking a little panicked in the mirror.

“Um, your eyes El… uh… um… Your eyes… uh… I’m embarrassing myself.”

El blushed again. “You go right ahead and embarrass yourself. I have never been called pretty before....”

“Not just pretty…  _ really _ pretty… " Mike was silent for a few seconds. "Yes, over forty books.”

“Does it pay well?”

“Well, not as much as writing porn, but much more satisfying.”

“Real love always is.”

“I wouldn’t know, El.” He looked away.

_ El felt bad for him. Sure she was lonely, but it was obvious to her that Mike was actually writing about his loneliness. He put himself out there in hopes others would feel what he did. Well… I do Mike. You aren’t alone feeling like this. _

“I haven’t eaten since a bad muffin this morning. Could you eat? It’s on me.” Mike asked her through the rearview mirror.

“Sorry, Mike, I’m not allowed to date customers. I wouldn’t anyway.”

_ That’s a lie, I’d date him in a second. _

“I wasn’t going to take you to a five star restaurant. I was going to ask you to take me to your favourite pizza place. I didn’t mean to imply anything else…” He had dropped his eyes again.

“Pizza? Ok, you are speaking my language.” His smile was back after she said that.

_ Saved it! _

XXXXX

El had driven MIke to her favourite pizza place, once that still had actual customer service with someone coming to the table to take your order.

She was not going to sit here and eat with her hat on. She had never been more nervous when she looked into his eyes and slowly reached to slide it off her head. She didn’t have to worry about the action messing up her hair, it was way too short for that.

She waited for the look of disappointment in his eyes. Maybe he thought, with her short hair she really wasn’t into guys, most guys thought that anyway when they saw her hair.

So she waited for it. 

And then he said it. 

Again.

He sighed. “Uh… wow… um… ok… uh… you are the prettiest girl I have ever seen. There. Made a fool of myself again.”

At first El thought she’d start crying. Instead she just smiled. She didn’t take her eyes off his.

“Thank you. You are being very kind to a girl who has no self-confidence about her looks.”

“What? Are you kidding El?”

She scrunched up her mouth and shrugged.

“Well, take my word for it. I’m not grossed out by you.”

She laughed. “I’m not grossed out by you either.”

MIke also laughed, and shook his head. “I can’t believe how easy you are to talk to. I’ve  _ never _ been able to talk to girls. I feel like we’ve been friends since we were kids.”

_ Maybe we are soulmates MIke. Think about it. I am. _

An awful thought hit her as their order was brought to the table.  _ I am never going to see him again after his research is done and his voucher is closed. _

_ I’m never going to see him again. _

It must have shown on her face... her body language… she could feel her shoulders slump.

“Something wrong El? You were just laughing a few seconds ago.”

“I am never going to see you after this... am I?”


	2. Disasters

“... am I?”

Mike had just been thinking the same thing. His mind was racing to find a way to keep seeing her… after his research…

_ I have to go back to Hawkins. I guess I could move here. I’d be uprooting myself on a potential relationship that may not go anywhere beyond just good friends. _

“I’ll be honest.... I don’t know... I can write anywhere… there’s nothing actually stopping us from… seeing each other is there?”

“No, there isn’t.” El said that, but her voice was cold. It seemed like she had steeled herself from any emotion.

Mike had never been good at reading people, and even less at knowing what a girl might be thinking. He didn’t know what to do, so he kept silent.

_ Shit. That’s not what she wanted to hear. I had to be honest though. I definitely want to see her again. I don’t really know anything about her, she didn’t talk about herself at all. _

“What time do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?” She said, her voice even.

“I was originally planning on five am, but I can see that’s not going to work anymore.”

“If you want five am, I’ll be out front of the hotel at five am.”

“El…”

“El  _ what _ , Mike? What can you say to me that I actually want to hear when I don’t even know what I want to hear?”

  
  


XXXXX

_ I’m pissed off and I don’t even know  _ why _ I’m pissed off. I don’t want to be. I’m pissed off with myself for even thinking that a fare, no matter how well we are getting along, was going to be a future romantic relationship. El, for fuck’s sake.  _ HE’S A FARE _.  _

“Thanks for the pizza, you don’t have to do that again.”

_ Are you trying to burn your bridges? You know you want to him to take you out on a real date. _

He wouldn’t look at her through the rear view mirror as they got back into her cab.

The ride to the hotel was silent also.

_ How did it all go downhill so fast? We were talking like we… like we loved each other. That’s gone now. He’s not even looking at me. _

El put the car in park. “So. Five am. Got it.”

Mike didn’t make a move to leave.

“Will I insult you by giving you a tip for your time… and your conversation, it really did help my research?”

“Of course not, I do appreciate tips, especially on open ended vouchers.”

_ Don’t expect much El. He’s a writer, he’s probably on an expense account. So if this comes out of his own pocket… well… don’t expect much. _

She could see in the rear view mirror while Mike counted out some bills in his wallet. He handed them to her.

“I hope this makes up for… anything I said wrong. I enjoyed your company… a lot… thanks El.”

El took the bills, her eyes almost popped out of her head.  _ These are hundred dollar bills! Ten of them! _

“Mike... that’s too much.”

“What would be too much is if I gave you a kiss with a liberal amount of tongue.  _ That _ would be too much.”

El couldn’t help it and burst out laughing.

“I want to make sure you show up tomorrow morning.” He said.

_ I would show up in your bed tonight for that kind of money… ok maybe not, I don’t want to be a high priced call girl. _

“I don’t know what to say.”

“About the money, or the tongue?”

El laughed again. “Ok, both.”

_ And I’m totally ok with both. But let’s stick with the money for now El. Maybe it’s not all lost. Here I go again thinking like a thirteen year old girl again. _

Mike still hadn’t made any motions to leave.

“Is something wrong?”

“Yeah. And no, I don’t know what. I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t want to leave until it’s fixed.”

“You have quite a conundrum.”

“Did you just say  _ ‘conundrum’?” _

“I read a lot of dictionaries.”

He smiled. “Oh, I know! Could you get out of the car, please.”

“Why?”

“I want…” Mike sighed. “I want to give you a hug. I haven’t had this much fun… well, earlier, in a long, long time.”

El took off her seat belt and got out.

When she turned she was inches from MIke. She practically fell into his arms.

He hugged her tightly.

“Hmm,” she said, “You smell good Mike.”

“It’s Avon True Gent. Tobacco, vanilla, musk scented. My mom gave it to me for my birthday.”

“You could get any hooker into bed with that.”

Mike laughed. “I’d rather it be y… uh… um… I don’t know how this is going to work El. But I  _ will  _ see you again. I promise. This can’t just be the end of it.”

“Spoken like a soulmate.”

Mike looked into her eyes as they both reluctantly broke the hug.

“That’s the reason why. There’s something here El. I  _ feel _ it. Believe me, I don’t have this kind of interaction with girls… uh women. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

El smiled, “I don’t know either…”

“Do you want to figure it out?”

El nodded, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Smiled at him while looking into his eyes and then turned to get into her car.

  
  


XXXXX

  
  
  


The hotel phone rang on the nightstand beside Mike’s bed. 

_ Ugh. It can’t be five already, felt like I just got to sleep. _

He looked at the alarm clock. 1:00 am. He picked up the phone.

“Sorry to bother you this late Mr. Wheeler, but there is an El… here to see you, she says she knows you, but she’s very confused right now, she is a regular taxi here, so we know who she is, but not what’s going on. Can you come down to the front desk please?”

“Be right there.”

Mike was in his track pants and shirt in seconds, and ran to the elevators.

XXXXX

  
  


If it hadn’t been for her eyes and her hair, Mike didn’t think he would have recognized her. Her face was dirty, white tracks down her face, obviously caused by tears. She smelled of smoke.

She looked scared and bewildered.

“Mike?” She said as soon as she saw him. She stood there, clearly not knowing what to do.

Mike walked by the front desk. “Um, could you…?”

“I”m on it Mr. Wheeler. El is a friend to us.”

“El, what happened?”

“It’s gone…” she said looking around.

“What’s gone El?”

“My… apartment… the whole building… burning… I wasn’t there in time to stop it.”

Mike wasn’t sure what she could have done to stop it, but he gathered her in his arms. He gently took her car keys from her and handed them to a valet.

“We’ll take special care of this, sir.”

Mike wasn’t surprised that El was liked here. She would be a very hard person not to like.

He hugged her for a few minutes and then looked up at the reception desk. The clerk smiled at him and nodded. “Ready, sir.”

“Mike… I need… I need someone to take care of me. I didn’t know what to do… where to go.”

“Done, El. You are here. I’m going to take care of you.”

She nodded. Her eyes till dazed, not quite understanding what’s going on.

“All my things… gone. My books.... Jack, my cat… gone.”

The weight of what she was saying was dawning on Mike. She was an independent girl making a living in a big city, and her home base was gone. Her possessions, her companion. Gone.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Where? It’s gone…”

“My room, El. I have another bed.”

“Ok.” Her voice was so small Mike almost burst into tears.

  
  


XXXXX

  
  


“Here take a sip of this.” El was sitting on the sofa opposite the HD tv..

El sipped, maybe a bit more than she should have, and started gasping. “What was that!”

“Maker’s Mark, bourbon. It’s strong.”

“I needed that.”

She looked up at him. “What am I going to do… I have nothing… nothing left here.”

“Don’t worry.”

“I’m sorry I was such a bitch.”

“That was impossible.” Mike got down on his knees so he was eye level.

“El. Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about anything El. I mean it. Trust me… ok?”

  
“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“We are soulmates El. We both know it.”

El nodded.

  
  


XXXXX

“You have a mini bar?”

“It’s more like a full bar. Max spared no expense. Probably a write off for her company.”

“Do you have white wine? I’d like to have that with a long, long soak in the bathtub.”

In a minute or so Mike handed her a wine glass, half full of white wine.

“Do you need to know the brand?”

“I’m not that pretentious. White wine, made with alcohol. I’m a lightweight. I’ll call when I need to get out of the tub.”

Mike laughed. “That’s the El I know.”

_ I’m going to clean myself up for him… just in case. _

XXXXX

  
  


Mike was laying on the bed, his back propped up with pillows and making some notes longhand, when El came out of the bathroom. She was wearing set of pink silk pajamas.

He looked over at the clock, “Wow, when you said long soak, you weren’t kidding.”

“I nursed a glass of wine, soaked, and read your first book.”

“In two hours?”

“I’m a fast reader. Stand up.”

Mike swung his legs over the edge of the bed. El came up to him, put her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. It was a thank you. Mike could easily feel that from the kiss.

“Um, you didn’t have to do that.”

“You’re right. I didn’t. I wanted to. There was a package in the bathroom with my name on it. It said ‘ _ complementary’ _ and there were two sets of pajamas, one cotten, once silk. I’ve never worn silk jammies before, so I put them on. These are mine to keep?”

“Yes they are. There’s more.”

“There is?”

“Yes. I had a complete wardrobe sent up for you. Every one of my books, I know you didn’t own them originally, but we will find your books later. Mine will get you started.”

“Mike…”

“It’s amazing what people with money who care about you will do. I know it’s not going to replace everything, but we have to start somewhere… and… uh… your girls are pointing at me.”

El looked down at herself. “Sorry Mike, it’s cold in here.” She crossed her arms in front of her, blushing.

“I like my rooms very cool. I sleep better. Sorry about that. We’ll put an extra blanket on the other bed. Get in it to warm up.”

El went over to the bed, pulled down the covers and got in. Mike put an extra blanket over her.

“Mmm, thank you.”

“I’m going to turn the lights out now. Um. needless to say, I won’t hold you to the five am pickup. Lets just lounge around tomorrow. Ok.”

“Ok, Mike.”

  
  


XXXXX

  
  


“What’s that noise?” Mike said in the bed next to hers.

“My teeth are chattering. I’m cold.”

“El… screw it. Come over here, I’ll spoon you and warm you up. I don’t have any sexpectations.”

_ What? Did he just ask me to get into his bed? Well, I’m not going to complain. Did he say  s expectations? Ok, must be a made up word from a writer. _

She quickly left the bed she was in and slid into his. She backed up him to him, and he spooned her.

“Geez, you’re freezing!” He put his arm around her, and swung a leg over hers, still keeping the spoon formation.

El wasn’t sure if it was Mike’s body heat warming her up, or just his body being next to hers and  _ heating  _ her up. 

_ You know what? Just like Mike said. Screw it.  _ She arched her back every so slightly and pushed her bum into his pelvis. Very, very subtly.

She felt his immediate and  _ significant _ response.

Mike noticed it too, he immediately backed away and turned to lay on his back.

“I’m sorry El. I didn’t do that on purpose. I’m really really sorry.”

“I’m flattered I’m having that affect on you… and… I’ve been having impure thoughts about you.”

“Uh.”

“I know what the problem is… neither of us have any…  _ experience _ .”

Mike, sighed. “Was it that obvious?”

“It was to your soulmate.”

“If you mean that El… if you mean that…”

“I  _ mean _ it.”

“Ok then. Your complimentary silk pajamas are in the way.”

“Yes they are… let me fix that.”

  
  


XXXXX

  
  


_ Ok. I did it. I finally slept with a customer. But he’s not a customer anymore. He’s my soulmate. _

El’s head was laying on Mike’s shoulder. 

His cell phone rang.

Mike reached on the nightstand to get it.

“Mike here…. Yeah Max, I’m still awake.... Oh? Thanks for getting back to me. That’s good news… oh… ok, tell me.... ”

Mike was quiet.

He sighed. 

“What is it Mike?”

“My dad passed away… in his sleep… 

“Oh, sweetie… I’m so so sorry.”

“We weren’t really close… um, can I ask you a really big favour?”

“I would do anything for you Mike. Anything.”

“Can you drive me to Hawkins? I can’t get a bus in time, and I’d like to be there at some time in the morning… Max said it’s on the voucher. That’s all covered.”

“I would do it anyway Mike. You only have to ask. Do you want to leave right now?”

“No, let’s get some sleep. Take off around eight in the morning? I’m keeping the hotel room… for now… I don’t really want to be myself, now that we’ve found each other.”

“We will never be apart Mike. We are soulmates. I know you feel it too.”

She could feel Mike’s nod.

“We will take care of each other, and figure everything out together. Ok?”

“Thanks El… I… I.”

“I know Mike.”


	3. Secrets

“Ready to go sweetie?”

Mike felt butterflies. He was not used to a pretty girl using a term of endearment for him. It made him feel extra shitty with what he was about to bring up.

“About last night…” he said cautiously.

Her voice sounded equally as cautious when she said, “Ok… ?“

“I don’t want it to be the  _ last _ night... but, we need to be more careful. I… I will do the right thing if we get pregnant.”

  
  


XXXXX

  
  


_ He wants to be with me! Of course he would do the right thing. I didn’t have any doubt… but I need to tell him my secret… secrets. If I’m going to scare him away, I need to do it right now. Shit. I’m scared. Scared I’m going to lose this guy. _

El’s sigh was loud and she almost started to cry.

“That was a really big sigh El, what’s on your mind.”

She steeled herself and then said, “When I was a kid, I had… medical issues. No babies for me Mike. If you were looking to raise a little Mike and El’s with me… it’s not going to happen. "

She hung her head. “I’m not sure I’d make a good mother anyway, I didn’t have role models."

“Neither did I, El. Ok. No kids. You have one hundred percent of my time and attention. Always."

El looked at him, a little incredulous. 

“Ok, Mike. Let me try and scare you away then.”

“I don’t think you can, but give it your best shot.”

“We do everything together. We cook together. We do laundry and clean together. We have fun together.”

“That means we get to spend more time together. I’m not sure how that was meant to scare me away? What you are saying to me was something I’ve always wanted. I wanted to  _ be _ with someone, for everything.”

“You know what else new couples do?”

“I thought you had it covered, but go ahead.”

“Screw like bunnies.”

Mike threw his head back and laughed. “Something else we can do together. _Bunnytime_.”

El smiled but go serious again. “Mike, the back story for your first book, where did you get that from? Why did you give her the name of  _ Eleven. _ ”

“There were rumours about the Hawkins lab and some psycho doctor stealing babies, and giving them an experiment number. It was a romance novel so I didn’t want to go too dark, but I named her Eleven because I thought even though it was a number, it was a pretty name, and her friends could call her El for short, and… and… oh… shit. Your name is Eleven isn’t it?”

El gave him a weak smile and nodded.

“All those stories are true? Except for the super powers I guess. Shit, I’m sorry El. I can have the name changed in re-prints. My publisher would do that for me. ”

“Don’t you dare. I love being a character… Here’s the last of the scary stuff… I’ll apologize in advance.”

  
  


XXXXX

  
  
  


Mike watched El glance at the air conditioning controls. He saw the knobs turn off the AC, and then turn up the heat.

“Uh… um… uh… telekinetic.”

“That’s not all Mike. More scary stuff coming up.”

Mike was sweating with the heat being turned up in the car on a summer day… but then he started to feel cool, comfortably cool, even though he could see and feel the heat coming from the dash vents. 

And then he started to feel really cold. So cold that his teeth were chattering.

“W-W-W-What’s happening El?”

“Cryokenesis, I can make things cold… make ice.” She put the controls back to normal.

“Is that why you thought you could stop the fire?”

“I don’t have pyrokinesis, more like the reverse. I stop fires, or stop things from burning… I’m really a mess Mike… I shouldn’t even be whining to you, I’m driving you home so you can attend a funeral… I’m sorry Mike… It’s going to be a tough day for you, but I’ll be by your side the whole time… if you want me to…?”

“Yeah… I do… um… so, during bunnytime that means I don’t have to wear a...”

“No you don’t, you lucky boy.” She winked at him.

  
  


XXXXX

“I’ll introduce you to my mom and my sisters.” He gave her a quick kiss, and took her hand. They walked up to the front door together and Mike knocked on the door.

Nancy answered the door. She smiled when she saw El.

Nancy led them into the kitchen. His mom and Holly were sitting at the table.

He put his arm around her waist and said, “Mom, guys, Um. I’d like you to meet Eleven. This is the girl I love.”

“That’s a pretty name…” His mom said.

“Wait,  _ you’re _ Eleven?” Nancy’s eyes started to water.

XXXXX

  
  


_ He just introduced me as the girl he loves! I mean, he’s probably really emotional right now, so I’m not sure if he means it…  _

Nancy came over to hug her. “Jonathan and I tried so hard to rescue the kids, we found them all but you.”

“I escaped. My dad helped me hide.”

“Your dad?” Nancy asked. 

“Jim Hopper.”

“The chief of police?” Holly said.

“That’s the one.” El smiled at the blonde girl.

“I’ve never seen you around here.” Holly said.

“I moved to a bigger city… but… last night my apartment burnt down.” El dropped her eyes.

“You can stay here, until… you guys figure things out.” His mom looked back and forth between her and Mike.

“Uh, we’ll stay in the basement. If that’s ok?”

XXXXX

  
  


Mike was moving the coffee table to a wall so he could arrange the sleeping bags. He banged his knee really hard after he moved the table. He felt dizzy…

El came out of the bathroom wearing very little. She looked worried and said, “Are you ok? It sounded like you banged something.”

Mike was hobbled over holding his knee, gritting his teeth he said, “Can you help me get outside? I really hammered my knee, I need fresh air, I think I’m going to pass out.”

Mike was looking wobbly so El laid him out on the sofa. She saw the sweat forming on his forehead. She took care of it.

“Ohhh, that feels good. Is that you El? Are you my portable air conditioner?”

“Anything for the guy who said he loves me.”

Next she came close to freezing his knee. 

“I’m not kidding El. Marry me.”

El half giggled. “Don’t make fun, that’s not something you should joke about.”

Mike sighed, “I’d get down on one knee, but… I’m not kidding. Will you marry me?”

“You are emotional, in pain, and you have a funeral to attend tomorrow. That’s a  _ no _ , Mike.”

Mike was silent.

“Mike!” It was Holly calling from the top of the stairs. 

“Mom wants to see you out in the driveway.”

Mike stood up, still quiet. He left through the basement door.

El bit her lip. 

_ Did he think I said  _ no _ as in  _ never? _ I just meant tomorrow, I don’t want to marry him after he’s just gone to a funeral. _

_ I need to tell him that I will, just not tomorrow. Shit? Is it too late? Are we even going to be sleeping in the same room tonight? _

  
  


XXXXX

  
  


Mike limped out to the driveway and saw her talking to a guy leaning against a Camero.

_ So did El not want to marry me at all? Or just not tomorrow? She didn’t giggle or smile when he asked, and he noticed all the cold feeling she’d put on him was gone. _

He walked up to his mom and gave her a hug.

“This is kind of awkward for me, Mike. This is Billy Hargrove, We’ve… been seeing each other for a few months. It’s serious.”

It dawned on Mike that she’d been cheating on his dad. And with a guy who had to be half her age. But his dad wasn’t really anything to anybody… maybe Holly would miss him, but Mike and Nancy wouldn’t. He’d never been a father to them.

Bill held out his hand, “I hear you are working on something for my sister, Max.”

“Uh, yeah, we never really got into personal stuff, I didn’t know she had a brother.”

“Step brother. My dad was an asshole, so I learned from the best. He went to jail for domestic abuse… I… didn’t want to go down that path. Karen here… she saved me.”

“You two are adults, just treat each other like adults. That’s all I would ask. Uh… I guess Max doesn’t know?” Mike asked.

Billy shook his head. “She doesn’t return my calls. She only knows me as the grade A asshole I’ve always been.”

  
  


XXXXX

“Eleven?” Nancy called down to El. “Can you come up here for a few minutes?”

El followed Nancy’s voice to her room.

“Did Mike ask you to go tomorrow?”

“Not really, I offered to be by his side.”

“That’s what a girlfriend does isn’t it?” She smiled at her and gave her a hug. “I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you have nothing to wear for… the event. We are about the same size so I have a black dress you can wear that’s not too sexy. That wouldn’t work for a funeral. But… I do have a sexy dress you  _ can _ wear... for… later…”

“I’ll try not to ruin them.”

“They are yours Eleven. Just seeing you alive and well gives me hope… and Eleven… Mike will never hurt you, he will cradle your heart in his arms.

El burst into tears. “I love him so much… he just asked me to marry him and I thought he was joking, so I said no.”

Nancy hugged her again. “He might not be thinking too clearly. Especially after he finishes talking to mom. Just say yes then. It's that easy.”

  
  


XXXXX

  
  


El watched Mike limp in through the back door. He looked defeated. She immediately put some cooling on his knee, enough to make him comfortable.

“Thanks, El. I… want to be with you… and… eventually get married… if you want the same then… no more secrets. We can’t have any secrets between us at all or it’s not going to work. We have to be completely honest with each other. Today I found out the girl I love has super powers, her dad is the chief of police, my sister was at least partly responsible for the shutdown of the Hawkin’s lab, and my mom has had a boytoy for the last few months. No secrets between us El.”

“No secrets. I told you mine.” El said. The intense look in her eyes almost made Mike look away. Instead he came up to her, she tilted her face to his and he kissed her softly.

“And the answer is _yes_ Mike, as soon as possible, but for now, we are going to meet my dad at work.”

“I knew this was coming.” Mike said.

El smiled at him. “He’ll like you.”

“I don’t think your dad likes anybody… ok you, but that’s it.”

  
  


XXXXX

El held his hand as they walked into the police station. She saw Flo. She smiled and nudged Mike. Flo was reading one of Mike’s books.

Flo glanced up at El, and then did a double take when she saw Mike.

“You hold on to that one dear, he has a good soul.”

El squeezed Mike’s hand.

Hopper watched Miking limping into his office with his daughter.

“She kick you in the shin Mike?”

“Just the heart sir.”

Hopper rolled his eyes.

“Dad?” She put her arm around Mike’s waist. “I want you to meet the guy I love.”

He looked back and forth between El and Mike. “Do I even need to ask?”

“He knows I can move things Dad.”

“You ok with that Mike? That’s not for every guy… nobody else needs to know. And… shit Mike, I’m really sorry for your loss. I will be there tomorrow.”

  
  


XXXXX

“What the hell was that?”

“I’ve never been to a funeral before… what was wrong?” El said carefully.

“Ok, first, my mother shows up with her boytoy. Ok, she said their relationship was serious, and he was there to support her, but… geez. I don’t know. It seemed kind of crass to me. Next, my sisters are a no show. They had more connection with my dad then I did. I knew something was up when you were wearing Nancy’s dress… which you look beautiful in.” Mike smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

“And then… there are a shitload of people I’ve never seen before. His previous family. Seriously? Only my mom knew. I have three step sisters and step brother. He didn’t show, but those three bitches did. I don’t think I’ve never met nastier people.”

“The last thing was on me. I didn’t cry. I think my mom half expected me to. I have someone new in my life. I don’t feel sad, not over someone who wouldn’t give me the time of day, or if he did would complain I couldn’t tell time. I only went out of respect for mom. I’m not even mad at Nancy or Holly. Who knows what happened once I moved out.”

“Sorry El, I’m venting. Ignore me.”

“Your worries are mine now. If you can’t vent to me, I’m no good to you.”

“Absolutely no secrets between us El. Promise?”

“Promise.” 

El made a peace sign, and held it behind her head like she was photobombing someone taking a shot.

“What’s that?” Mike said.

“I’m a bunny sweetie. ” She waggled her eyebrows at him

"That's exactly what I need for bunnytime."


End file.
